


Get In The Car

by Miyuki_scourgeofthefirenation



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bonding, Driving, Friendship, Gen, Humor, Katara - Freeform, M/M, Music, Not All Who Wander Are Lost, Oneshot, POV Suki (Avatar), Past Sokka/Suki (Avatar), Uncle Iroh - Freeform, adult responsibilities are stressful okay?, and driving around with friends, author wants to be 17 again, kpop, rated for language, toph - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:27:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27195109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miyuki_scourgeofthefirenation/pseuds/Miyuki_scourgeofthefirenation
Summary: Stressed out with adult responsibilities, Suki, Sokka, Aang, and Zuko decide to go wandering.
Relationships: Aang & Sokka (Avatar), Aang & Suki (Avatar), Aang & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka & Suki (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), Suki & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 49





	Get In The Car

**Author's Note:**

> So this idea has existed in my head for months now (though it took on some decidedly new forms when it came time to actually write it). I hope you enjoy it! I had a lot of fun writing it :)
> 
> The initial idea was based on what me and my friends used to do when I was 17 and in college. New updated idea came from me being overwhelmingly stressed out by work these past couple weeks and wishing to go back to those long gone nights.

Suki was enjoying a nice sheet mask and her new book ( _ The City We Became _ by N.K. Jemison, so good!) when her phone started ringing from where it sat on her side table. Sighing, she placed a bookmark into her book and plucked the phone up. 

The caller ID read  **SOKKA** , with the picture being one that she had taken of him mid-sneeze back when they were still dating when attending university. He had begged her so many times over the years to change it, going so far as to send better picture options (in his opinion) for her to use instead. She had laughingly refused every time, insisting that nothing could be better than this one. She was right too. The picture always made her smile when she saw it.

“Hey, what up?” Suki greeted him as she answered the call.

“Hiya,” Sokka’s voice came through the line. Suki could instantly tell something was bothering him. Almost ten years of knowing someone had that effect. 

“Okay, spill. What’s wrong?”

Sokka sighed. “Do you ever feel like everything’s just... Happening too much?” Suki’s heart gave a twist. Yes, yes she did know that feeling. “Like you just want to rewind for a little bit and go back to when things weren’t so stressful?”

“Yeah,” Suki spoke softly. She was vaguely concerned about where Sokka was going with this. He had a bad habit of overworking himself until he crashed and burned. It had first become noticeable when he was an industrial chemistry student. Now that he worked as the lead product development researcher for a small up and coming environmentally conscious company his tendencies had worsened.

“Anyway,” Sokka spoke again, voice now more chipper and determined. Which was honestly throwing Suki for a loop. She had been expecting for her and Sokka to start having a heart to heart chat about feelings and stress like they had multiple times in the past. “I was calling to see if you might be interested in reliving some past fond memories. Really just taking a moment to be stupid and young like we were at university again. Whadaya say old pal?”

“Um,” Suki faltered for a moment.

Sokka seemed to realize where her mind had gone. “Not like that idiot. I’m spoken for, even have a ring to prove it.”

“Well, when you phrased it like that what did you expect me to think?” Suki grumbled.

Sokka laughed, “Point taken and noted for future reference. But I actually was just inviting you to go driving around until ungodly hours of the night like we used to. Back when we didn’t care about pulling all-nighters and our levels of exhaustion the next day. And since today is Saturday and we don’t have anywhere to be tomorrow...” He trailed off.

Suki thought about this for a moment. Her nightly plans had been to keep reading her book and then going to sleep... by 10 at night. And it was already after 9 o’clock. Oh no, she was only 27, that wouldn’t do at all. “Yes,” she quickly yelped. Sokka’s laugh rang through the line again. “I mean, that would be fun.”

“Great, Aang’s down too. Katara’s on shift tonight and Toph’s out of town for that family wedding, so obviously neither of them can come.”

“And Zuko?” Suki asked. “I mean, I know he would follow you to the ends of the earth, but the man also likes his beauty sleep.”

“That he does,” Sokka said with a fond chuckle. “But he’s in too. Wants to experience the legendary car nights since he never got to before. So the plan is I’ll come get you, then Aang, and Zuko’s been at Uncle Iroh’s tonight so we’ll get him last since it’s on the way out of the city.”

“How long?” Suki asked, already standing up to head to the bathroom and remove the sheet mask from her face.

“20 minutes?”

“See you then.”

* * *

Sokka, ever punctual in an alarming way, showed up at Suki’s apartment exactly 15 minutes later on the dot. He called her again once outside.

“Hey, get your ass down here I’m parked out front of your building in a way that can only accurately be described as so illegal it’s kinda funny.”

“Aw, I love talking to you too Sokka,” Suki crooned obnoxiously as she stepped out of her apartment and locked the door. “So glad we’re friends and can have these heartfelt conversations.”

“Ha ha,” Sokka deadpanned through the phone as Suki stepped into the elevator. “We can have whatever heartfelt chats you want just as soon as you get down here before I get a fucking ticket.”

“I’m already down here,” Suki sighed, stepping off the elevator as it dinged and making her way towards the front door. She caught sight of his car outside the building. “And wow. What the fuck? How did you even manage to park like that?” Sokka hung up.

* * *

After the two had gone to get Aang, Sokka managing to find a legal parking spot this time, they drove over to The Jasmine Dragon Teashop to pick up Zuko. The shop was owned and operated by Zuko’s uncle Iroh, and Zuko frequently spent time there. Both helping and being a distraction in equal parts (Uncle Iroh’s words, whispered to Suki one day when playing mahjong.)

Sokka pulled the car into the little parking lot alongside the shop and called Zuko.

“Hey hon, just arrived.” Sokka absently traced the steering wheel with his hand while listening to Zuko’s reply. “Mmhmm, yeah. Sounds good.” Another pause. “That’s nice of him. Love you, see you in a minute.” He hung up and caught Suki looking at him. “What?”

She smirked at him. “Nothing.”

“Why don’t I believe you?” Sokka narrowed his eyes at her in suspicion.

“Because you definitely shouldn’t,” Suki snarked back. Aang chuckled in the backseat.

Right then Zuko rounded the side of the building, a bag clutched in his hand.

“What’s he have?” Aang asked, leaning forward through the gap between the driver’s seat and passenger seat in the car.

“Pastries from the shop,” Sokka murmured appreciatively.

Zuko drew up alongside the passenger side of the car, frowning as he peered in. Suki rolled down the window next to her and leaned her cheek on her hand, grinning up at Zuko. “I hear you come bearing gifts,” she chirped, lazily dragging a finger down to gesture to the bag in his hand. He stared at her, before glancing over at where Sokka sat next to her behind the wheel.

“Um....” he said hesitantly, still looking between them, with an occasional glance at Aang in the backseat. “Can I sit there?” He gestured to Suki’s seat in the front. 

Suki gave an affronted gasp, whipping her head around to pout at Sokka. “No! You better not let him! I don’t care that he’s your fiancé I called this seat fair and square!” She already knew what Sokka would say, but Zuko didn’t. He hadn’t gone to the same school as them for higher education. He didn’t know car night rules.

Sokka rolled his eyes at her antics, before shrugging apologetically at Zuko. “Sorry. No can do hot stuff. Car night rules are binding. Suki called front seat first so it’s hers.”

Now it was Zuko’s turn to pout. “Are you sure? I’m the one with the food...” He held up the bag of pastries enticingly.

Sokka cast a longing look at the bag before shaking his head. “Not even food can supersede the rights of front seat dibs.” Though Suki could tell he was wishing it did.

Suki grinned victoriously up at Zuko where he stood, lit up with the neon of the surrounding building signs. “Those are the rules of car night! Get in the backseat!”

Aang leaned over from where he sat behind Sokka to roll down the window behind Suki. “Yeah Zuko! Get in the car!”

The three then took up a chant of “Get. In. The. Car!” It went on for a bit as Zuko got more and more red and embarrassed.

“Fine,” he pulled open the door behind Suki to a collective cheer from the rest of the group. “People are gonna think you’re kidnapping me.”

“But Zuko,” Suki twisted in her seat as Sokka took off from the curb, driving to where the city faded out into backroads and fields. “We ARE kidnapping you.” Aang laughed, Sokka smirked, and Zuko just groaned.

“Now hand over those snacks,” Aang demanded, making grabby hands towards Zuko.

* * *

They drove leisurely around the roads surrounding the city and out into the backroads and hills of more open spaces. They passed through various other towns and cities as they went, catching occasional glimpses of the coast line and sea too. Suki had made a playlist specifically for the night. (“It’s either this or have to deal with Sokka flipping through radio stations relentlessly!” Zuko and Aang had quickly nodded their approval of her playlist while Sokka huffed from where he sat behind the wheel.)

The playlist consisted primarily of songs from when they were in school, though some were newer additions that Suki simply had to add. They drove like that for quite a while, munching the pastries Zuko had brought, talking and laughing, and scream-singing along to songs in both English and Korean. 

After they all gave a rousing performance of ‘Blank Space’ by Taylor Swift the opening notes of Blackpink’s ‘Ddu-Du Ddu-Du’ started playing through the car’s speakers.

“BLACKPINK!” The group chorused in unison as the song opened, leading them to begin laughing wildly, Aang and Zuko leaning up against each other for support in the backseat. It turned out Zuko could perfectly rap both Jennie and Lisa’s raps from the song, which resulted in Suki whooping her approval and Sokka wolf whistling at his fiancé. 

It was around one in the morning when something unexplainable happened. The group had gone a bit quieter and more contemplative as the hour got later, focused on just enjoying being together and listening to the music. 

“What’s this song?” Aang piped up from the backseat as a new song began playing.

“It’s ‘A Nightmare on My Street.’ It’s Will Smith,” Suki said. “It’s fun.”

“Don’t you think it’s kinda creepy?” Aang asked uncertainly.

“It’s supposed to be that way Aang,” Suki replied.

“Yeah, but maybe listening to it when we’re driving down dark roads in the middle of nowhere isn’t super fun?” Aang sounded more freaked out by the song than she would have expected.

“Well-“ she began to say, but was abruptly cut off.

“What was that?” Sokka all but yelped. Suki gulped. A large creature had just run across the road in front of them. A large creature that even she had to admit looked disturbingly like a naked person crouched down on all fours. Running across the road like that. Past one o’clock in the morning.

“Oh fuck no,” Zuko muttered while Aang whispered a chorus of “No, no, no, no!” next to him. Suki was inclined to agree with them. Especially since Will Smith singing about creepy nightmares in the background of this scene was not doing any favors. 

“Uh, let’s go back to the city?” Sokka squeaked out. “Let’s just turn around and go back yeah?”

“Mmhmmm!” Suki agreed quickly.

“Yes, the city with lots of other people around that can hear us call for help sounds lovely right now,” Zuko put in. Aang just nodded vigorously, unable to say anything else.

Sokka pulled off slightly down another road before backing the car up so they could head back from the direction they came. They all tended as they passed through the area where they had seen whatever the fuck that thing was. Without speaking, Suki switched the song from the Will Smith one to something more calming. 

None of them let out the collective breath they were holding until they could see the distant lights of their city getting closer.

* * *

Once they got back to the city they decided they were hungry. They stopped at a small all night restaurant. It had a variety of stew and noodle dishes available. There were only a few seats available inside the restaurant, a counter pushed up along the window, offering them a view of the sleepy city street outside. 

Suki slurped at her gamjatang happily, watching her friends fondly. Aang had finally been overcome with tiredness, head frequently lolling into his own bowl of noodles. Giggling, she had to keep nudging him awake. Sokka and Zuko were sitting to the other side of her, feeding each other bits of their food. Suki was struck by how much she loved all of them in that moment, even though Zuko and Sokka were being gross in public and Aang was starting to drool against her shoulder.  _ They’re mine _ , she thought, resting her head against where Aang was tucked into her side.  _ My favorite people. _

**Author's Note:**

> Me? Using this opportunity to plug the amazing book The City We Became by N.K. Jemison? It’s more likely than you think… (Though also please be advised that it is an adult book, not a YA or younger reader book. *insert that TV announcer voice here* Viewer Discretion is Advised)
> 
> Just in case anyone was wondering, the part where the weird creature thing runs in front of the car while ‘A Nightmare On My Street’ is playing… actually happened to me and my friends. It was like 2 or 3 in the morning, utterly terrifying, and we drove back to where we lived at high speeds. I decided to not include the part where my friend that was driving got a speeding ticket for that. Kinda killed the mood.
> 
> Comments and kudos can help me forget my lingering fear from that night though… ;)  
> ~Follow me on Tumblr if you wanna! @miyuki-scourgeofthefirenation  
> I take fic requests, though I make no promises about timeliness in fulfilling them. Hit me up on Tumblr and we can talk about it. No NSFW. Don’t ask, it’s not gonna happen.  
> I upload for ATLA on Sundays!


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